Cataract surgery remains the most widely performed intraocular procedure throughout the world. Safety and accuracy of the procedure are paramount and techniques should remain under constant review. Recently, the introduction of the femtosecond laser to assist cataract surgery has provided ophthalmologists with an exciting tool that may further improve outcomes. We review the existing literature, discuss the potential implications for a variety of stakeholders and discuss our initial experience with the femtosecond laser.